Barcelona Spain

Before I move on to my entry on Spain I want to add some things I missed from France and since this is the closest thing to a journal I have these days here goes. When we were driving to Normandy with our friends Mike and Cheryl we were following Scott's GPS to get us there without getting lost. After we had traveled for longer than we thought it should take us, through about 15 small towns and about 50 round abouts (I don't think it was really that many but enough to make one extremely dizzy) , I had had just about enough. When I looked over to my left several yards I noticed a nice little freeway and asked Scott why we weren't on it? He double checked the GPS and found that the question the GPS asked when he turned it on was phrased this way, "would you like to avoid toll roads?" Well my dear hubby thought it asked "would you like to take toll roads?" So of course he said "yes", big mistake! On the bright side of that though it was better we were on the road less traveled when Cheryl thought she had shut the back of the car tight after one of our many stops, but she really hadn't and all our luggage began falling all over the road. Only one car had to slam on their brakes to miss them rather than 10 or 20 cars that would have had too on the busier road. It must have been meant to be...I just thought that was too funny to miss.

On Friday the 30th of October we returned the rental car and boarded a plane for Barcelona,where we would meet up with the rest of our group of travelers. We had traveled through France with Cheryl and Mike our long time friends and now we would meet up with Scott's 2 sisters Kay Lynne and Michelle. Pam and Paul our other long time friends and their daughter Mandy, and Paul's mom, Dee (not in this picture).

It really doesn't matter how well you plan things out (which we did by having monthly planning meetings before we left) some things just don't work the way you planned them too. We thought we were so smart to take the train from the airport to the subway and then walk two blocks to the hotel. Keep in mind that we have one large suitcase each (4 of us) and 2 carry on's each. The subway is below ground and you are in a foreign country with out certain standards, there were no elevators or escalators only stairs (MANY STAIRS)!! Scott had to carry our 2 big suitcases and I had to juggle our 4 carry ons in 80+ degree temperatures up and down many flights of stairs. I thought I was going to DIE!!! By the time we got to the hotel I was dead, but we had to see the city because we would head to Montserrat the next morning and then need to get to the ship before 5pm! Michelle, Mandy and Dee's luggage never made it to Barcelona that day, Delta lost it, so hopefully it will make it before the ship sails tomorrow!!!

We headed for Las Ramblas a famous street in Barcelona with lots of shopping and a farmers market to die for, especially this booth with chocolate and candy galore. You are probably asking if I bought some right? Are you crazy? Of course silly! It was yummy....We ate some authentic Spanish food as well and loved it!!

Then off to see other site around town. One being the Sagrada Familia Cathedral by Antonio Gaudi. This building was started in 1882 and is said to not be finished for 30-80 years. It was massive and very cool.

Here are other sites and buildings around town as well.

The next morning Oct. 31st we took the subway to a train that takes you to the base of Montserrat. The train drops those off that take the cable car two stops earlier that than those that take the rack train. Scott and Michelle took the rack trian and KayLynne, Mike Cheryl and I took the cable car.

This is a site where a monastery was built and it is a very spiritual place to the people who believe the Virgin Mary visits here.

When it was time to leave Monserrat we couldn't find Michelle, if you take the rack train up you have to take it back down. The same with the cable car. The cable car leaves first and you get off at different train stops, we were worried we might not make the train back to Barcelona but Michelle bought a ticket for the next cable car and made it back just in time for the train. Scott got off the train at the wrong stop and had to rush back to the train right before it left. Whew!!!
On the way back to the hotel to get our bags and get to the ship Kay Lynne was
pick pocketed by 2 men on the train who stepped in front of her, caused a diversion and then jumped off the train before it left, Jerks!

We made it back to the hotel and got 10 people into three cabs and raced like we were in the amazing race to our ship. The lost luggage had made it to the ship as well and all was right in the world again!!!

Sea day, one skipped port and then on to Florence, Italy....